Manager, Product Design

D2L is a cloud company that is modernizing education and building the Future of Work. The old models of teaching and learning are in the midst of the largest transformation in history, and D2L is at the heart of that fundamental shift.

New models of teaching and learning enable a personalized, student-centric experience – and deliver improved retention, engagement, satisfaction, and results for learners of all ages – in schools, campuses, and companies.

D2L is disrupting the way the world learns, by providing the next generation learning environment and solutions to engage and inspire learners. And most importantly, by giving customers a platform that is easy, flexible, and smart. No other company provides a solution as robust and innovative as D2L.

D2L has had a singular mission for 25 years and is dedicated to that same mission in the years ahead: to transform the way the world learns – and by doing so, we will help improve human potential globally.

A member of our Talent Acquisition team reviews ALL of our applications - yes a real person reviews resumes! They are excited to read more about what amazing things you could add to D2L.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Every day, our software is used by millions of people around the world. We are looking for someone who shares in our excitement and passion for transforming the way the world learns. We're a learning company; it's not just what we do, it's what we live. We have a cohesive and strong Product Design team with great breadth and depth of skills.

We are looking for a Product Design Manager to join our UX leadership team. Reporting to the VP of User Experience, you will join a strong and collaborative team of UX leaders who focus across different areas at D2L.

You will be accountable for a high-performing team that creates delightful, intuitive, and inclusive experiences that align with D2L’s company strategy. You work closely with Product Management and Engineering leadership to drive outcomes informed by accurate capacity planning, market data, user research insights, and timing. You provide connectivity across initiatives, ensuring teams have the conditions for success. 

What We Provide

We think we offer something unique:

• A supportive, talented, and collaborative community of UX leaders, product designers, user experience researchers, and accessibility professionals; we learn from each other to develop the skills to do great work
• A continually maturing practice with growing tools and design system; we have a growth mindset and contribute to our UX culture and practice
• Balance and collaboration with our partners in Product Management and Engineering; we have a strong voice in our projects
• A chance to do meaningful work; we contribute to life-long learning to change the way the world learns
  
  

What You'll Contribute

People Leadership

• Passion for leading and developing effective teams.
• Lead by example through collaboration, empathy, humility, and critical thinking.
• Empower designers to deliver consistent, user-centered work that strengthens our design practice.
• Coach team members and identify opportunities for growth and to apply their strengths.
• Understand what motivates and engages each member of your team; focus on building trust, open communication, and providing frequent feedback and recognition
• Ensure the team aligns with D2L's vision, culture, and leadership values, and can connect their work to the company vision and goals
  
  

Practice Leadership

• Be accountable for the quality of design; help foster our team's culture of high quality for design at D2L
• Contribute to evolving the product design practice with your knowledge of user experience design and research
• Provide guidance on the best practices for design process, user research, and participation in agile teams, recognizing that these differ depending on circumstances
• Identify opportunities and ensure designers practice inclusive and user-centered design
• Ensure strong collaboration and mutual alignment to processes and strategy at the team and company level
• Identify and prioritize design needs across initiatives and allocate resources accordingly
• Contribute to identifying and building models, systems, and other artifacts to provide efficiency and consistency across projects
• Guide the team in balancing rigour with pragmatism and adapting our design process.
• Develop strong relationships with cross-functional partners in product management and engineering
• Communicate regularly with product managers, development managers and senior leaders for planning purposes and to obtain feedback
• Recognize and appreciate the contributions and constraints of other D2L employees who contribute to building great products for our users
• Collaborate with broader design team and leadership to contribute to the overall design practice at D2L
  
  

Product Leadership

• Support designers through asking questions, identifying considerations, connecting people to adjacent initiatives and strategies, and ensuring that our design process is used effectively
• Work with cross-functional stakeholders to help create conditions for strong collaboration and successful initiatives
• Facilitate translation of strategy by senior and principal designers into actionable work for the design team
• Enable team members to develop an understanding of the D2L products and empathy for our buyers and users through research
• Help teams to navigate ambiguity – facilitate bringing clarity to work on complex issues where problems are not clearly defined
• Occasionally provide hands-on design support or consultations for smaller overflow projects.
  
  

Experience

• 1+ years people leadership experience in UX teams
• 7+ years product design experience, including SaaS enterprise products
  
  

The expected base salary range for a new hire in this role is listed below. The annualized base salary offered is determined by each candidate’s relevant knowledge, skills, education, training and experience. It is aligned to ensure both internal and external competitiveness using market data for the geographic location and industry. As part of the total compensation at D2L the role may be eligible for additional benefits including a Wellness Subsidy, Equity Grants, Variable Incentive, and more.

Base Salary Range

$110,000—$125,000 CAD

Don’t meet every single requirement? We strongly encourage you to still apply! At D2L, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment. We encourage your application even if you don't believe you meet every single qualification outlined, because we love to help our people grow and develop!

Why We're Awesome

At D2L, we are dedicated to providing you with the tools to do the best work of your life. While some of our perks and benefits may vary depending on location or employment type, we are proud to provide employees with the following through :

• Impactful work transforming the way the world learns
• Flexible work arrangements
• Learning and Growth opportunities
• Tuition reimbursement of up to $4,000 CAD for continuing education through our Catch the Wave Program
• 2 Paid Days off for Catch the Wave related activities like exams or final assignments
• Employee wellbeing (Access to mental health services, EFAP program, financial planning and more)
• Retirement planning
• 2 Paid Volunteer Days
• Competitive Benefits Package
• Home Internet Reimbursements
• Employee Referral Program
• Wellness Reimbursement
• Employee Recognition
• Social Events
• Dog Friendly Offices at our HQ in Kitchener, Winnipeg, Vancouver and Melbourne.